Checkout stations are well known, and are typically used in retail businesses to assist customers in purchasing products. Self-checkout stations have been introduced to provide customers with a self-serve alternative to the conventional operator-run checkout station. Self-checkout stations also reduce a business' operating costs, because the self-checkout station ideally eliminates the need for an operator to operate the checkout station.
In some conventional self-checkout stations, the customer typically handles all of the items to be purchased. As such, the customer personally performs barcode scanning and product code entry.
In the world of retail self checkout, one of the key concerns is how does the retailer ensures that the items scanned and paid for by the customer are actually the items that are carried off by the customer. This problem is particularly difficult when many of the items in a store are similar in shape, size, weight, or “look and feel.” This problem is particularly relevant in retail establishments that sell or rent books, tapes, DVDs, CDs, videos, video game cartridges, and other items that are difficult to distinguish on the basis of shape, size, and weight.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a side-view of a conventional self-checkout station 50, which includes a monitor and tender station 52, a scanner 54, and a weighing scale 56. In operation, the customer 60 scans an item 62 with the scanner 54. The item typically has an attached barcode, preferably a universal product code (UPC), that the scanner 54 reads. The barcode corresponds to a price, which appears on the monitor and tender station 52 for the user's 60 viewing. After scanning the item 62, the user 60 immediately places the item 62 in a bag 64, which lays on top of the weighing scale 56.
To verify if the item placed on the scale 56 is the same item 62 that was just scanned, the weighing scale 56 weighs the item just placed in the bag and compares the weight of the item placed in the bag 64 to an expected weight associated with the barcode of the scanned item 62. If the weight values match, the item in the bag is assumed to be the item 62. Once the item 62 is scanned, the customer 60 then pays for them using the monitor and tender station 52. The problem with this conventional solution is that it does not work well for items having the same weight (e.g. books, videos, DVDs, CDs) but having substantially different prices.
Another conventional solution uses a height detector to verify the dimensions of the item. The height detector uses an infrared sensor to measure the height of an item in any orientation, and this height is then compared to an expected height associated with the barcode of the scanned item 62. The problem with this conventional solution is that it also does not work well for items having the same dimensions (e.g. books, videos, DVDs, CDs), but having substantially different prices.
In another conventional solution, items after being scanned are routed on a conveyer to a receiving area where the items can be bagged. The additional security is provided by the fact that the item is actually on display as it moves down the conveyor. Also, there is a physical distance separating the two actions of scanning and bagging. This conventional solution is problematic for similar reasons as those described above where items are similar in shape, size, and weight.
Another conventional solution uses a real time video camera to monitor transactions. The problem with this conventional solution is that it requires someone to be present and observe at all times, and is therefore costly since a staff person needs to be hired to monitor the transactions.
Generally, there is not a good solution to this problem today in that the conventional solutions require the maintenance of a security database, which contains item UPCs cross-referenced with item-specific weights and dimensions. Also, conventional solutions also do not address problems associated with items having similar shape, size, and weight.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved and more secure self-checkout system. The system and method should be able to address problems associated with items having similar shape, size, and weight, and should be simple, cost effective, and capable of being easily adapted to existing technology. The present invention addresses such a need.